A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…
Whoops! I meant to say, a few months back TCM created our first LinkedIn group – TCM NonStop Experts. The purpose of this group was to act as the centre point for discussions relating to how we as a community can improve and extend the range of services and solutions that are crucial to the HPE NonStop eco-system. We kicked off with some interesting discussions surrounding the NonStop landscape, how things are changing, the shift towards services versus outsource providers and looked at the challenges facing the next generation of NonStop users. In general the response and readership has been great, but the most incredible thing is to see just how willing people are to share ideas, solutions and knowledge.
Knowledge is key. At the recent NonStop Technical Boot Camp in San Jose, I was delighted to be invited along to a new special interest group – the Nonstop Under 40s SIG. As a second-generation NonStopper, I was pleasantly shocked to see so many other young NonStop professionals. The room was filled to the brim and I am convinced it had nothing to do with the free beer and more to do with the genuine excitement about where NonStop is going next.
Going round the room and doing the always-awkward-but-nevertheless-useful introductions, it was clear to see the range and depth of talent coming into this industry. What’s more, there were ideas, passion projects and visions for the future of NonStop. There was a very palpable sense that this next generation is ready to pick up and continue the great work that countless others have, through the decades, forged into an industry and legacy of indomitable quality.
But in spite of the talent and will to succeed, it became clear that the next wave of NonStop professionals needs support. It was discussed at length, the difficulties faced when making your first strides on the NonStop, in particular the simplest commands can suddenly leave one’s consciousness, calling for the immediate consultation of the manuals. Though it was generally agreed the manuals were very helpful, sometimes the problem isn’t so much being able to find the answer, as it is being able to find the question!
Alas, the solution as always is experience. When we’re talking about NonStop, experience is crucial, but getting access to this is not always so simple. Across the world lies countless battle-scared, been-there-got-the-t-shirt NonStoppers with decades of do’s and don’ts, shortcuts, lessons learned and cautionary tales. We need these gurus, the Yodas and Obi Wan Kenobis of NonStop, to share this knowledge with the new to-be NonStop Jedis.
Should a swamp-style training camp fail to come to fruition, perhaps the simplest methods are to start with online resources. Indeed one of the key take-aways from the Under 40s SIG was the idea of a new NonStop Knowledge Forum, a great idea that would no doubt help and improve the access to quick-fire answers to ASAP questions. When this kicks off, the forums will require support from every corner of the NonStop network, with ‘newbies’ spraying questions like wildfire, and the cool heads of NonStop pros populating the sections and subsections with insight, anecdotes and empathetic appreciation of the early steps into a NonStop environment.
Of course, this will all take time. The great news is that people are investing in grass roots initiatives to help secure and build NonStop’s future. We at TCM are fully engaged to help in any way we can. It’s in our DNA to want to share the good word of NonStop. That’s why in the meantime we encourage all NonStoppers, both new and, well, not old … lets say seasoned, to bring us your issues and we’ll set our best minds to the task. Whether it’s a simple question of ‘how do I do this?’, ‘where can I find that?’, to the more obscure and frustratingly head-scratchy, we’re happy to help you find a way to ‘use the force’.
So, should you have an issue, please, hit our LinkedIn group and send us your questions (if sensitive, please feel free to email us privately here: nonstop@tcm.uk.com). And of course, we welcome all NonStop users, solution providers and professionals to contribute their thoughts and ideas to these discussions. Here’s hoping within a few years we’ll see many such outlets of NonStop knowledge popping up as the platform continues to evolve and grow into markets and areas we can’t even imagine. Then again, perhaps the future is already written, I mean, you can’t tell me an entity as complex as the Death Star didn’t need a few NonStops at its core!
Uh-oh…
Daniel Craig | TCM | daniel.craig@tcm.uk.com | +44 7779 888788
